The need for discovery of new anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents for use in preventing human and animal disease is growing because resistance to existing antibiotics is increasing. In agriculture, available approaches for preventing crop loss due to particularly fungal diseases are inadequate in many cases. Oomycete fungi are significant causes of disease in many plant crops, including tobacco, and it is important that we explore alternate approaches to microbial disease control in plants effected by these fungi. In 1979, an epidemic of blue mold (caused by the oomycete Peronospora tabacina) caused an estimated $ 1.1 billion loss of tobacco crops in Ontario. In the future, outbreaks such as this may be just as damaging to tobacco grown for molecular farming purposes as for conventional tobacco production.